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[Blood_Orange]

I'm heading out to Cathedral Lakes for some camping this week... the park hasn't yet been burned to a crisp by the wildfires about 50 km to the east!

Bringing a small fishing kit as I've heard the fishing can be pretty good. I'll be fishing from shore. Any tips as far as which lake to try, what areas on which lake, times of day, lures, etc...? Not much online other than that Ladyslipper has the reputation for being the best fishing.

Temperature's pretty cool up there (12-19 degrees this week) so hopefully the fish will be biting. I read that they stocked the lake back in the 1930s and that the cutthroats survived and started spawning.

Thanks for tips, etc...

[VAGAbond]

Definitely Ladyslipper, fair numbers of fish to about 15 in. And spectacular surroundings.  The other lakes have either masses of tiny fish or none.  Pyramid Lake and Lake of the Woods have many fish, I think cutthroat.  These lakes can literally boil with rising fish at dusk, up to perhaps 10 inches.  Quiniscoe Lake at the lodge has fish but in my experience very few.  Can't comment on the size because I never saw one.  Glacier Lake is very beautiful, worth a visit but barren, no fish.

I haven't been there in 16 years and things change.

If you are very energetic try Haystack Lakes to the east. The route is spectacular, right over the top of The Boxcar and then through what looks like a gunsight in the next peak and then over the ridge and down a long scree slope.  It took us all of a long day to get there and back so I only had a few minutes to fish one of the lakes and caught some small fish I took to be rainbows.  When I was last there, there was a trail to the top of The Boxcar but beyond that it was a route in open country, no trail. None really needed.

I am sure I once learned that the Haystack Lakes had California Golden Trout and if you are staying in the lodge I think they had a picture album with old pictures proving that.  I haven't been able to find any other confirmation of these trout being there. Go take a look and report.

Good luck.  Cathedral Lakes are a magical place.


edited to replace Haystack Mountain with The Boxcar

[VAGAbond]

I did some more web searches and found reference to Golden Trout and a Cathedral Lake but a Cathedral Lake in California. Memory fails.  That is probably the reference I remember.

In any event, if you are young and energetic, the trip to Haystack Lakes is a tremendous alpine adventure.  You might see bighorn sheep, ptarmigan etc.

[Renegade]

Ladyslipper can be excellent, with some big fish.  Black stonefly nymphs work well, and sometimes there can be good surface action (cast to rises). The fish seem to move around, so you may need to hunt for them.  It tends to be windy in the afternoon.  Quiniscoe lake can also be good from shore or canoe/tube, with some good size fish and lots of small.  Black gnats and Tom Thumbs (especially with green bellies) work well when they are taking dries, which can be all day long but especially in the evening.  At that altitude, fishing should be good all summer.

[Blood_Orange]

Thanks for the info! We camped next to Quiniscoe Lake but I heard several times that Ladyslipper is the place to go. I should have specified that I was spincasting. A small spoon worked great.

Quiniscoe had tons of small rainbows and cutthroats in the 6-10" range but everything I caught there was super skinny. Pretty amazing to get almost nonstop bites in these lakes, compared to the fished out lower mainland locations I usually try! Fished for 15 minutes at dusk on our second night and got lots of bites. Landed 2 small rainbows and one cutthroat. The cutthroat was around 8":



Ladyslipper was a bit of a trek up and over a high ridge but the colour of the lake was amazing and the scenery is spectacular:



Caught a 7" rainbow on the first cast! Threw that one back and made my way around the bay, trying various spots. Landed a 12"-ish rainbow about 30 minutes in, and another about the same size 90 minutes later. Lots of bites in between and I could see some smaller fish (3-8") following my lure back. Saw one big trout, probably 15", cruise by my lure but he wasn't interested :/ Hooked another 12" right at the end of the day but he got away. I know my ruler isn't quite on the mark in the first shot





Overall, the scenery is fantastic and the fishing is awesome. The hiking is also pretty great up there and you get to bump elbows with the pack of resident goats who aren't scared of the people:



Didn't make it to Haystack because it was pretty far off.

Thanks to VAGAbond and Renegade for weighing in

[Animal Chin]

Very nice. Thanks for the trip report. I've been meaning to backpack through there for a few years now. Better do it before I get too lazy.

I'm not sure, but the Washington side has a spectacular park called "the Enchantments". The only thing is, if you want to camp at the top in the core area you need to enter a lottery.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=22895

Supposedly the fishing is excellent around the lower lakes but then you'd need a Washington State license. Anyway, thanks.

[sbc hris]

Awesome report! Thanks. It's a place I've wanted to check out for awhile now.